Imagination
by LondonOnyx
Summary: When Kaoru is injured and refuses to let Hikaru know, Hikaru is furious. But after Kaoru disappears, he'll do anything to get him back. Kaoru POV yah, no major twincest guys, i share a computer with the fam xD
1. Imagination

I've never really woken up screaming before. I guess there's a first time for everything.

I stared into the darkness, dripping in a cold sweat. My golden eyes were wide as I searched the room, pulling the blanket back around my shoulders. Hikaru stirred and put his hand on mine, squeezing.

"Are you okay, Kaoru?" he whispered.

"Yeah, Hikaru, I'm fine. That movie must have really freaked me out though." I dug into the bedside table and rummaged around. My hand fell on the remote and I took it out. A little television might get my mind off things.

The TV was oddly bright in the dim room. I checked Hikaru, he was watching the screen. My thumb subconsciously found the 'Guide' button. No good reality shows on, any good cartoons? No. "I wonder what other countries watch for entertainment…"

"Ohm." was the response from the curled up lump beside me.

I found the universal channels and started flipping through. A weird channel called "Nick at Night" was airing a strange show with a yellow square, a pink starfish, and what looked like a pineapple. The yellow thing and the pink starfish were in a cardboard box. Something of a squid came up. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but Hikaru spoke some English.

"Hikaru…? What's going on?"

"…"

"Hikaru, what are they saying...**WAKE UP**!"

He jumped. "Wha-? Whaddya want, Kaoru?"

"Can you translate what they're saying? Just one word?"

He paused for a moment, probably deciding what to translate. The TV was giving off a soft blue light. He looks really good in blue; I can see why he likes it so much. He looked up at me with those eyes…my eyes. "_Imagination_." he said simply.

He turned over and rolled into his well-perfected ball again. I don't know how long I watched him, but it was long enough for him to get back to sleep. I tried not to move the bed as I lay back down. I left the TV on and snuggled close to Hikaru. He turned around and put his arms around my waist, while mine automatically went around his neck. I closed my eyes, and almost instantly fell asleep.


	2. Broken

"Kaoru!?"

"……….Kaoru, are you in there?! I'm not going to wait all morning, get out!"

I could hear my brother banging on the door. Opening one eye and wiping the other as best I could, I leaned out of the shower and banged back, "I'm almost out, be patient!" I knew that was asking a lot of Hikaru. He never had been one for 'patience'. I pushed off the door and back into the warm water. What I didn't know was that I had knocked the soap off when my pounding had shaken the room. My foot hit the slippery substance left in the tub and the next thing I knew I was dangling over the side of the tub, my ribcage crammed against the bar. Water was spraying all over the bathroom; I must have hit the nozzle when I fell.

Hikaru was pounding on the locked door again. He broke the handle of and rushed in, "Kaoru! Kaoru, are you okay? What happened?" He grabbed my limp arms and pulled me up. If I hadn't been in so much pain, I probably would have cared more that I was butt-naked, and he'd left the door wide open. He reached into the shower and turned the water off, then snatched a big towel of the rack. Gently, he wrapped my waist in it and asked if I was hurting anywhere.

"No Hi-oww!" I winced as he pressed his palm against my right side.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he cried. I couldn't help but laugh. Here I was, sitting on the bathroom floor with my perfect mirror image staring me in the face. Hikaru's eyes were clouded with my own pain, and that was what really hurt me. I reached up and stroked his hair.

"Really Hikaru, it's just going to be a little bruised, nothing to worry about." I tried to stand on the soaking floor, just to slip once again. This time my brother was there to catch me. He smirked and helped me onto the rug that wasn't dripping with bath water. Caringly, cautiously, he helped me to dry off. Just when I was about to unwrap the towel from my waist, I saw two maids peeking in from the hallway.

Hikaru frowned at them and was about to start rampaging when I put my finger on his lips. Shocked, he looked from me, to the maids, and back to me. Silently, I said _'Just close the door Hikaru'_. He must have read it in my eyes, because he swung around and slammed the door.

"Kaoru, this is all my fault isn't it?" He asked sadly as he helped me into my Ouran Uniform. I paused, how could it be his fault? If I hadn't dropped the soap none of this would have happened. _If he hadn't been about to bust the door down I wouldn't have dropped the soap…_ NO! I can't put blame on my brother like that! Things happen, there's not always a rhyme or reason, or fault in this case.

I realized that I still hadn't answered him. I tried to think of the right words to say, "Hikaru…its not, I mean…you didn't, no…it's just…" Hmm… "It's nobody's fault Hikaru. What happened happened, and I'm not blaming you." I had no idea what I was saying, but somehow he understood. He brightened up as he looked at the clock.

"We managed to kill two periods! Maybe we should get to school though, just so the Shadow King doesn't skin us and put our hides on his wall of shame." He smiled and took my hand, rushing down to the limo waiting for us outside. On the way through the kitchen he grabbed a Pop-tart packet. When we got into the car he gave me a Pop-tart, apologizing for a cruddy breakfast-on-the-go thing.

I nibbled away at the little…thing. _What's a pop-tart made out of anyways? _The landscape from our estate to the Academy never really changed, so my 'admiring the scenery' excuse didn't work. "What's wrong Kaoru? Are you hurting? 'Cause we can go back home and get a doctor."

Truth was, I really didn't know what was bothering me. Something just seemed to be eating away at me, nibbling, chewing, biting… "No, I'm fine. Just, can't wait to get to school I suppose." _What does Tamaki have planned for the Host Club today? It'd better not be something silly again. _

The last four periods seemed to fly by. Maybe I'd been sleeping for most of it, but how could I when this sharp pain kept jabbing at me? It was only a few minutes to the bell was to ring for classes to be dismissed. Now that I acknowledged it, the searing pain in me was growing worse. I gritted my teeth to keep from yelling. Another sharp jab stabbed at me, forcing my hands to grab at my side. My eyes slammed shut and my mouth flew open, **"OWW!"**

The people around me stared at me with wide eyes. Hikaru stood up so fast that he knocked his chair over. He grabbed my hands and pulled me close to him. His hands intertwined with my hair and he pushed my head into his chest. My hands tightened around his shirt, wrinkling the uniform. If I hadn't been in die-worthy pain, I would have wanted to stay like this forever.

But it was only moments before I found myself at the nurse's office, shirtless, with a freezing metal stethoscope pushed into me. The fan girls huddled around the doors and windows. Irritably, the nurse's assistant slammed the doors while my brother closed the blinds. The nurse told me to lie down and get some rest. I looked at the clock; the Host Club would be opening its doors in five minutes.


	3. Tunnels

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Can you?"

"…_May_ I?"

"Yes you may."

I stared at the nurse for about five seconds before sliding of the leather bed and making my way into the bathroom. I locked the door and pressed my ear to it. Nobody was in the room still, or I would have heard their meaningless chatter. Smirking, I went to the corner and unlatched a handle in the wall. It was still there, the tunnel Hikaru and I had made years ago…

"_Are you sure this is okay Hikaru? We don't even go to High School yet!"_

"_We're not going to get caught, and if we do, Tamaki can take the blame, right?"_

"…_I guess."_

_We made our way through the school and found Class 1A. That's were we started digging. _

"_It's so dusty in here, how long till we break through"_

"…"

"_Hikaru, where are you? I can't see anything! Are we almost there?" My brother wasn't answering. The tunnel was dark and cold, and covered with a thick layer of filth. I was about to stop when I felt his hand on my face._

"_That you, Kaoru?" he whispered. I blushed, and was suddenly glad it was so dark._

"_Yeah, its me. Are we almost out?"_

"_I think so, the wall in front of me seems hollow." He continued to pick and stab at the weak wall. Then it was bright, the tunnel filled with white light. Reminded me of a bathroom…_

_It was a bathroom. "I bet this will come in handy later huh?"_

"_Maybe…Now we should get out of here and close the tunnel before somebody finds us!"_

"_I guess so. It's a good thing those maids are clueless, huh?"_

"_Yeah."_

I was about to squeeze through when I noticed I was still shirtless. Bending over the lost and found container, I grabbed a black t-shirt and a white jacket, and went back over to the tunnel. My side was still burning, and as I crawled through I wondered if anybody was in Classroom 1A. It was a good thing we had made the tunnel behind Hikaru's desk. His was the last desk in the room, back right. Next to him was Haruhi, and I was next to her. I heard the bell ring for after school activities to start. I started to worry if I would make it without Kyoya being too angry, and started to scrabble through the tunnel a little faster. Bad idea. I hit my side on the edge and gasped, coughing up blood. My side was pulsing, and I was choking.

"Are you OK now, Kaoru?"

My eyes opened slowly, reluctantly. There was a cool, damp rag being wiped across my forehead, down my neck, across my chest, stopping at my side, and repeating. The hand that was moving it around looked pale, rough, and worried. It was Hikaru's hand. "Ye-yeah, Hikaru, I'm ok-kay."

I heard a close screeching and noticed where I was. Music Room 3, the Host Club. The fan girls were at our table, hyperventilating. It took me three seconds to realize why, Hikaru had removed my borrowed clothing and replaced my pants with a big, fluffy towel. I blushed, wondering if that was really necessary. Hikaru caught my blush and smirked.

Stroking my face, he whispered closely in my ear, "No worries, Kaoru, I didn't peek," he paused for a brief laugh, "long." My cheeks were on fire now, and I pulled the towel tighter around me and stood up, heading for the restroom. Hikaru managed to chuck a bag at me behind his head. _This is where my clothes went…_

I locked the stall door and dressed, deep in thought. Was he acting? He must have been…but how am I supposed to follow a script I don't know? When did he get so good anyways? I was fixing my tie in the mirror when the door swung open. It was Kyoya. "I'm sorry Kyoya, I didn't mean to be late, I was actually trying to get here faster but the tun – er – path I took kind of wore me out. Anyways I hope I didn't ruin todays profits."

He grinned, evil-like, and turned his laptop towards me. I cocked my head to the side and stared at the screen, I'd never been the best at math, and these numbers were killing me. He could see me struggling and sighed, "Bottom line, you increased profits by about 50% today."

"Whoa." I finished buttoning my jacket and leaned over the counter to make sure my tie was good. Another, bad idea. I hit my side again and fell to the floor, cringing.


	4. Running

"Kaoru?! Kaoru?!"

"…Hm..."

I heard my older brother sigh with relief. I felt his hands on my face, his thumbs making circles on my cheek bones. His warm breath was on my forehead, making me sweat. I knew he was there, but I couldn't see him. I could only feel him, hear him, smell him, and breathe him in. My eyes were fighting to open, to see him. My fifth sense was tingling, needing to be filled.

Suddenly I was cold. Hikaru's breath was gone, he wasn't talking, and his hands were no longer on my face. I was lost in blackness, without my other half. "Hikaru! Hikaru where'd you go? Please Hikaru, please come back! I can't do it, I…I can't…"

"Kaoru? Can't do what? Are you okay Kaoru?" My eyes flew open, and met an identical pair inches away. I blushed and looked away. What had just happened? Was I asleep, awake? He had heard me…begging for him…did he get it now?

"Uhm, no Hikaru…wait, where am I?" I'd only just seen the bright lights above my eyes, the strange blankness of the white walls. My fingers played with the light blue, extremely itchy fabric on top of me. I couldn't see anything past Hikaru except a big yellow wall of cloth.

"We're in the hospital, Kaoru."

"Hospital? Why, is somebody sick?"

Hikaru frowned, "You broke your ribs Kaoru. Why didn't you tell me? We could have gotten them patched up before you hurt yourself more."

It would have been simple, '_I didn't want to bother you Hikaru, you were already so busy, and I was fine._' Curse me. "I wasn't feeling any pain, I didn't know." I forced a smile, the one I forced in the Host Club.

He stood up and stared down at me, "You didn't know? You weren't in pain? Why are you lying to me? Kaoru you've been in a daze all morning, **why didn't you tell me!?**"

I looked away, searching for something to say. I heard him grind his teeth, heard him take a step back, saw him drop my jacket on the floor, and suddenly, felt his hand across my cheek.

It was a sharp pain, and it lingered there. He looked at his hand, then at me before running out the door.

I thought I might have seen a tear or two, but I was still in shock. Hikaru had hit me. He'd never hit me before! We'd never even argued…I could feel my own warm tears sliding down my stinging face.

As I reached up to wipe them away, I saw a window on the right side of the room. Glancing to the door every few steps I made my way across the floor. I was on the second story, above a tree and some bushes. Leaning out, I estimated how far away the tree was. Could I make it, if I jumped? I heard a thump in the hallway and slammed the window shut. I watched as a nurse in all white, just like the hospital, set a tray of food by my bed. Hadn't she noticed me by the window? She patted the lump of blankets on my bed and left the room.

That's when I saw my jacket on the floor again. I bent to pick it up and saw that there were spare clothes with it. Finally I realized I was in a hospital gown, backless, open fabric. Blushing at the thought of me being out in public with this on, I pulled on the orange army pants and grey sweatshirt. They smelled like tears.

My eyes filled up again and I wiped the sign of weakness away. Hikaru had hurt me, that bastard.

With the door locked and the window open again, I attempted to stretch out to the tree, avoiding my ribcage. The nearest limb didn't look like it was strong enough to hold my, so I stretched farther. Now my knees were on the window sill, reaching farther. I just grabbed the branch when I heard the screech of tires.

"Waaa-oomf!" I spluttered as I fell and hit the ground below. I was about to get up when I heard a familiar voice.

"Kao-Chan? Why would he be hanging out a window?"

"Who knows, senpai, but it looked exactly like him. Or Hikaru."

"Those two dopple-gangers must be up to something."

"Well wouldn't it be logical to go check the bushes instead of standing here."

The Host Club? Damn, where do I hide? I peered around the corner and saw a tiny patch of trees. Was it my imagination, or were they calling to me? I shook my head and dragged myself through the twisting, sharp twigs and branches of the near-dead bushes. I could hear their footsteps in the gravel behind me, and became panicky. I dug my nails into the earth and pulled harder. Finally I was out, and into the welcoming trees.

I watched them from behind the biggest one I could find. I almost felt guilty; they had been searching those bushes for at least thirty minutes. Then I heard the roll of thunder, and finally noticed the gray sky, which was getting darker. Haruhi was clutching to Tamaki's jacket like her life depended on it. They decided to call it quits when the first drop of rain hit Usa-chan. After their car left I sighed, where am I going to go? Turning to the rest of the trees, I decided I'd have to find shelter for the storm in the thicker part. I headed into the darkening forest.

It was strangely bright in the morning. I looked for any sign of what time it was, but I couldn't see the sun through the leaves. It smelled of rain, and I remembered just why I was here, under this forsaken rock in the middle of a forest. My hand felt the wrap around my abdomen as the tears came flooding back. Against my will, I actually broke down.

I cried.

It was pathetic, a lonely, skinny, hurting, half-boy crouching over a rock in the middle of nowhere, just crying.

It was more like sobbing. I'm not sure how long I was there, but when I finally regained control and stood up I could feel something in both my pockets. Reaching into my right one, I pulled out a watch. The watch Hikaru had given me after I'd slept in on my birthday.

More tears tried to force their way through but I wiped them away. In my back pocket was my wallet. Inside it was a fifty, a twenty, two tens, and seven ones, plus my credit card and ID. At least my brother was smart enough to give me something. The watch went on my wrist and my wallet went back into the pocket it had been in.

Now I actually looked at the time, 10 am. Figure its time to get moving then. After I figured out which was towards the hospital, I headed the opposite direction. It was almost an hour till I heard the sounds of human life. Peering out from the last tree, I saw a throng of people with bags and carts, rushing to stores I'd never heard of. I steppe out fully and a few people cast glances at me and continued hurrying along.

Today was a Sunday, didn't people take Sundays off?

I had started walking towards the crowd when I spotted something that made me stop dead: Haruhi Fujioka.

AUTHORS NOTES

Sorry for not updating in FOREVER! I had to think of something to move this along though, and what I had originally didn't work at all.

DISCLAIMER: obviously this is Bisco Hairori's (or whatever...)


	5. Market

My stomach did a flip and I dashed behind a trashcan. I watched her as she browsed the roadside stalls, stopping to examine a flower stand more closely. She picked through the multi-colored roses until she found the ones she was looking for. Standing up, she reached her hand into her bag and pulled out two dollars, which she handed to the elderly woman on the other side of the wooden counter. Then she reached down and plucked out the roses she had found. An orange and a blue. Smiling, she set them gently on the top of her bag.

My fingers clutched the sides of the trashcan. Orange and blue, me and Hikaru. Those were our colors. What was she trying to do?

I shook my head and peered around the can again. Haruhi was gone. Carefully, I stood and glanced around again. A few people gave me weird looks or held onto their children tighter, but there was no sign of Fujioka. I sighed and reluctantly joined the crowd.

As I walked down the street packed with commoners, I looked at all the stalls and signs in search of something to eat. Maybe something Italian, if a dinky little market like this had some. I passed a vegetable stand and glanced at the people in front of it. There was a little boy in a bright blue tee and cherry red baseball cap, and a woman about thirty and a plain pink shirt and floral skirt. Then there were the two girls with long black hair, identical in height, one wearing a green blouse and green plaid skirt, while the other wore the same thing in red. When they turned around, their faces were like mirror images of each other's. They were twins, identical twins.

Like Hikaru and me…

My eyes threatened to tear up again, and I could feel my throat start to tighten. There was no way I was going to break down _here_.

I bolted through the people and down an alley. My eyes were stinging and about to spill over. My heart was pounding and my hands clenched into fists. I hit the brick wall at the end of the side street, hard. There, in the dark and dank little corner, I crumpled to the ground and cried.

* * *

"Excuse me? Sir?"

My eyes flew open and met with beautiful, concerned green ones. The girl then stood up and offered me a hand. I took it and she helped me up.

Smiling, she said "I noticed you back in the market earlier. You must not be from around here, you seemed pretty lost. I thought I would come find you so I might be able to help." She looked me up and down, "You don't look so good Sir. Don't you have a home?"

"Not one I would like to go back to at the moment," I confessed. Then I recognized the severely slashed bangs, deep black hair, and red outfit. It was one of the twins from earlier. "What about you? Where's your family?"

"Oh they went home already."

"You're out here alone?" I inquired.

"So are you." she stated plainly.

She had a good point. I looked closely at her face, "How old are you?"

"Now…I'm…fifteen. I'm fifteen now." she smiled, looking at her watch. "My sister was fifteen half an hour ago."

"Happy birthday." I mumbled, also looking at my watch. It was already 5 pm. "Now if you don't mind, I have to go."

She gave me a weird look, "I thought you said you had nowhere _to_ go."

I stopped dead, realizing she was right. Where was I going to spend the night? I hadn't seen any hotels nearby, and I wasn't going to room with some random commoner. I didn't want to crawl back under that awful rock, and I wasn't going to go to the hospital. And I definitely wasn't going to my house. I started to panic, thinking frantically of what I would do. But she cut into my thoughts.

"You could come and stay with me."

My mouth dropped open, "_Excuse_ me?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "_Not_ like that. I _mean_, my family owns a hotel a few miles away. You could get a room there."

I blushed, "Oh…yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

She smiled and her eyes lit up, "Its family movie night, maybe you can watch with us!" She turned and started running down the alley.

"Hey! Hey wait up!" I called after her, but she just turned around and kept running, backwards.

"Hurry up or I'm going to leave you!"

I rolled my eyes and started to chase after her. Soon enough, I was in front of her, stopped and waiting for her to catch up.

She panted and grinned, "You sure are… fast, Sir. You… knocked two miles… off the trip." She bent over and caught her breath, "Maybe we can walk from here?"

I sat down and looked at her, "After we rest for a second." I looked around and spotted a fountain. "Here, come get some water." I dragged her over to the fountain and placed my hands in the water.

"I wouldn't drink that."

"Neither would I. This isn't for drinking." I took my hands out and put them on my forehead and neck, "It's for cooling down."

She looked at me for a few seconds before doing the same thing. "What's your name, Sir?"

"Kaoru. Kaoru Hitachiin. And you don't have to call me 'Sir'. I'm only a year older than you."

She tapped her lip, "Hitachiin, ey? My friend knows a Hitachiin. He went to the hospital recently, broke his ribs somehow. He has a twin brother, too."

"Heh…what a coincidence..." I looked away, "What's your name?"

"Kaori Akita."

Kaoru…Kaori…

"Nice to meet you Kaori. Are you rested enough now to go?"

Kaori grinned, "Kaori and Kaoru." She laughed.

It's like she read my mind.

"Yes, I'm ready to go. Oh, by the way, my friend, the one who knows a Hitachiin, she's also staying at the hotel. Her name is Haruhi. Haruhi Fujioka."

My jaw dropped.

Oh. Crap.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTES **

Maybe NOW I will update weekly. I've been extremely preoccupied lately, sorry.

Disclaimer - Bisco


	6. Guest

Hikaru awoke in a daze. He looked at the time, 5:05 pm. When had he fallen asleep again? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that yesterday he had done something terrible. He had hit his little brother. And this morning, that little brother had been missing. He groaned and rolled over, right off of the couch in Music Room 3.

Why was he still here again? The rest of the Host Club had left hours ago, but for some reason Hikaru had stayed behind. But that didn't matter right now; the only thing that mattered was finding Kaoru.

He could always ask Kyouya to send out his private police force, but that would take too much paperwork, too much time. He had to find his other half soon.

Why had he hit him? There really hadn't been any reason to…

Hikaru stood up and stretched, his mind flaming with possibilities and accusations. He sleepily made his way out of Music Room 3, down the hall, out the door, and into the still-waiting limo he'd called over 3 hours ago.

I followed Kaori cautiously, on the look-out for Haruhi. We stepped lightly up a few shabby wooden steps and through a broken old screen door. I looked around the room and grimaced. There were a few measly folding chairs, a bucket filled with rain water, a dusty white rug, and an old-time, bunny-eared television. The paint was peeling off the walls and it smelled strongly of mold.

She noticed my face and put her hands on her hips, "Do you think I actually _live_ here? Heavens no. This is just a shed. We're only here to hide something. So turn around and close your eyes, and don't peek."

I did as she said. I turned and closed my ears, hearing a screech and a thunk, then her clapping her hands together. But I only turned when she told me to.

"We're done here. Now we can head to the hotel." She smiled and led the way out of the dusty shed.

"What was that about?" I ask as she ducks through some bushes.

"Just a few things my mom doesn't like me having," she shrugged, "Nothing to worry about." Then we make a sharp right turn and she smiles, "_Here_ is where I live."

I looked up at the pretty building. It was made of pure white stone, with light blue borders around the roof and the windows. It had four stories, with five windows on each floor except the first. Then there was a window in the roof. The grass was perfectly taken care of, with flowers and cherry blossom trees placed perfectly around the yard. There were smooth cobblestones all the way up to the polished front steps and the elegant cherry wood door complete with golden knocker.

"Pretty…" I mumbled, awestruck. I didn't know commoners could have such elegant homes. Then again, it doubled as a hotel, so I guess it had to look nice.

Kaori smiled wide and grabbed my sleeve, "C'mon now, I want you to meet my family!" She pulled me all the way to the door and took out a purple decorated key from her sock. "Just be you, but don't be rude." she whispered while unlocking the door and pushing it open.

It smelled like roast beef and potatoes, complete with green beans, broccoli, rolls, and for dessert, chocolate chip cookies. She guided me through the lobby and down a wide hallway covered in pictures. We reached the end and she used her key once again. Their living room was like a magazine picture. There was a pretty blue couch with black embroidered pillows, perfectly placed picture frames, tables, lamps, candles, and a blue and black checkered rug. In the corner, there was a shining white fireplace with pre-set logs. Even the window blinds were an elegant pattern of blue and black flowers, with hints of white.

I was so caught up in the room; I hadn't even heard her calling "_Mom! Manami! Hideaki!_" until her family had shown up and were all looking at me. Kaori elbowed me in the ribs and I sputtered, "Uhm, h-hello, my name is Hitachiin, Kaoru."

Kaori frowned and walked in front of me, "He's got nowhere to stay, so I told him he could stay at the hotel. But I don't want to make him feel lonely, so he'll be staying in _our_ guest room. Got it?"

Her little brother, Hideaki, rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever."

Her mom came over and shook my hand. "Welcome. We're having dinner in an hour and a movie after that. You're welcome to come down and enjoy yourself." Then, turning to Hideaki, she said, "Let's go finish that homework." and ushered him out of the room.

That's when her twin sister, her mirror image, Manami, came running over and hugged her. "I was wondering where you went. I was so worried. Don't ever do that to me again," she whispered, brushing Kaori's hair from her face.

Kaori smiled and took her sister's hand, "I won't. I promise. I'm sorry."

Then Manami turned to me, "Excuse me, Kaoru? Are you okay? You've gone pale."

Had I gone pale? I felt clammy, I felt sick to my stomach, and I felt empty. Their embrace made me miss my Hikaru even more. It had reminded me of the Host Club. It had reminded me that Haruhi was also somewhere in the hotel, and that she was coming down for the movie.

"_Kaoru!_" Kaori hissed into my ear, "Are you alright?"

"W-what? Oh, oh yes I'm fine. Thank you." I looked at my watch, 5:45.

Kaori took one of my hands, and Manami took the other. They led me down another hall and into a shiny chrome elevator. They punched in 4 and sat on the floor, leaving me to lean against the wall. The elevator gave a start and sputtered to life.

"Dinner is at 6:30. You're in the room marked 'Guest 2'. Get settled and you can come down early to help set the table." Manami smirked, "That is, if you higher folk can handle a little work."

I glared down at her, "What was that supposed to mean?"

She rolled her eyes, "I know who 'Hitachiin' is. Your mother is a fashion designer; your father travels with her. You have a huge mansion and dozens of servants. You and your brother are in the Host Club at Ouran High School. The private school, of course. You have everything you've ever wanted. You must."

I bit my lip. Everything I ever wanted? If that girl only knew. Apparently, having your twin brother hate you, breaking your ribs, and running away is everything _she's_ ever wanted.

She continued, "Have you ever thought that maybe we, the '_commoners_' might have things we want? Things we dream of? Things we _can't have_? We don't have the money to go to a fancy-pants private school; we barely keep this old shack up and running. This is the best dinner we've had in _months_, but I bet _you _and your kind eat better than this every, single, _day_. Don't you?"

I clenched my fists and resisted the urge to pound her. She _really _thought it was that_ easy_! I bet she had no _idea_ how it feels to be utterly and completely in love with your _twin_! How everything I want is so out of reach, and how I'll never get it now because he HATES me!

She almost started again, but the elevator dinged and opened. Kaori walked me out and before Manami followed, slammed her fist into the "Close" button.

"I'm really sorry about that Kaoru. She's not usually like this. I don't know what got into her." She grabbed my arm, "Please don't hold this against her."

And the way Kaori was looking at me, her eyes full of sorrow and her bottom lip quivering, I knew she was serious.

"I'm not holding it against her. I get that all the time. Really, it's no big deal." I say as I slip the card-key they'd given me into the slot for "Guest 2". I open the door and as I turn to close it I say, "I'll help set up for dinner at around 6:20."

The last thing I see before I'm engulfed in the darkness of the yet-to-be lit room is Kaori's innocent, happy smile and wave.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

(Whoo, two uploads in one day!) Manami is a little mean, dont cha think? I mean, _really_. Haha.

Anyways, meaning of names :

KAORI

**Gender:** Feminine

**Usage:** Japanese

**Other Scripts:** 香, 香織 **(Japanese)**

From Japanese _香_ "smell, perfume, fragrance". It can also come from _香 (ka)_ "smell, perfume" and _織 (ori)_ "weaving". It is often written _かおり_ using the hiragana writing system.

AIKO

**Gender:** Feminine

**Usage:** Japanese

**Other Scripts:** 愛子 **(Japanese)**

From Japanese _愛 (ai)_ "love, affection" and _子 (ko)_ "child".

MANAMI

**Gender:** Feminine

**Usage:** Japanese

**Other Scripts:** 愛美, 愛海 **(Japanese)**

From Japanese _愛 (mana)_ "love, affection" combined with _美 (mi)_ "beautiful" or _海 (mi)_ "sea, ocean".

HIDEAKI

**Gender:** Masculine

**Usage:** Japanese

**Other Scripts:** 英明 **(Japanese)**

From Japanese _英 (hide)_ "excellent" and _明 (aki)_ "bright".


	7. Found

Dinner was awkward.

At 6:15 I had made my way down in the elevator and found my way to the kitchen. Kaori was already there, finishing up the cooking while her mother was upstairs cleaning up Hideaki. I had passed Manami, lounged on the couch, on my way in. After helping Kaori drain some water and finally finding where they kept their China, I set the table like the maids did at home. First I laid out a white, lacey tablecloth with light pink placemats. Then I put out the plates and silverware in the proper, social-affair manner. Once I had made sure everything was perfect, I took a vase out of the cabinet and took some flowers from the garden out back.

When Kaori had turned around and looked at the table, I couldn't tell how she felt about it. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open. But eventually, she shook her head and smiled at me. Then she called everybody in, and the family took their normal spots at the table.

This took up all the chairs.

That left me awkwardly squatting next to Kaori, where my chin could easily have rested on the table. Everybody seemed reluctant to be the first to speak. It was Hideaki who finally, thankfully, broke the silence.

Although his question couldn't have been worse.

"So Kaoru, why were you out all alone in the market? Don't you have a family?"

I gulped, "Um, yes I have a family…but my parents are in America at the moment and…" I tried to think of some reason I wasn't with my brother, "My brother is, um, my brother is…at a friend's house. Yeah, and he accidentally took the key with him. So I was looking for a hotel when I came across the market." Yeah, that had sounded pretty believable.

"Why didn't you just knock on your door? You have _plenty_ of maids and servants, right?" Manami scowled, "What I mean is that they could have let you in."

I glared at her across the table, "Actually, _Manami_, I only have _two_ maids, and _one_ cook. And they're only to keep my brother and me company."

"That doesn't answer me. They still could have let you in."

I had to think of something. Fast. "No, as a matter of fact, one of my maids was sick. The other maid is her twin. They _happen _to be at the hospital right now. And as for my cook, he is busy at a banquet in _Tokyo_. So, _no_ they couldn't have let me in."

She frowned, "And what, you don't have a spare key or something?"

That's where she got me. I had no idea what to say back. Thankfully, that's also where her mother, Aiko, stepped in, pulling her out into the living room. Kaori, Hideaki, and I had been able to hear only faint mumbles through the large, solid walls and kitchen door.

Then the door opened, and to my ultimate dismay, there stood Haruhi.

And that's where I stand now, ducked behind Kaori, after just hearing Haruhi's surprised, "Kaoru?"

* * *

She walked around the table and looked down at me. "Kaoru! Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru! I can't believe it's you! We've been looking everywhere for you! I _thought_ I heard your voice!" Then she kneeled down and hugged me tight enough to pop a lung, until, of course, I pushed her away.

Her big brown eyes stared sadly at me. "Is there something wrong Kaoru?"

I glared at her, remembering what I had read in Hikaru's not-so-secret journal when she had first arrived at Ouran Academy.

**_Today I saw someone who must be the prettiest little thing on the planet. Her name is Haruhi Fujioka, and she's in my class._**

**_Even before I knew she was a girl, she still made a very beautiful boy. I would have gladly and happily gone to "their" side. But now I don't have to, because Haruhi is a woman. And even better, the guests at the Host Club like her so much, she's going to be the new edition to our membership. Now it will be so much easier to go after her, and I get to see her practically every day. _**

**_She has the prettiest brown eyes, the cutest smile, and her hair really fits her. And even though Tamaki has his obvious eyes on her, I think I can win her over._**

**_But I'm not sure what this will do to Kaoru's and my act in the Host Club. Oh well, I bet it will work out just fine._**

**_Love struck and Hopeful, Hikaru Hitachiin_**

I remembered how horrible and beaten down I'd felt after that. First of all, it was a hard shove into the reality _outside_ our 'act' in the Host Club. Hikaru wasn't gay. But he would have been, for _Haruhi_. Second, he was actually prepared to fight the Boss for her. And third, the most crushing thing of all, he didn't want me.

Haruhi tapped me again, "Kaoru, what's the matter?"

I jumped, "Nothing, nothing's the matter, I just…" A knock at the door cut me off, and Kaori jumped up and peered out the window.

Her eyes were wide when she turned to us, "It's the police! W-what do I do?"

Haruhi looked oddly hopeful, "The police? Open the door, open the door! It might be Kyouya!"

Crap. Haruhi was hoping it was Kyouya's police force. They must have been looking for me. And now, Kaori was about to open the door.

I dove under the kitchen counter and shoved various cleaners and sprays out of the way, crawling to the very back and peering through a crack in the door. Kaori brushed down her shirt and opened the door, "Can I help you Sir?"

A man with a large white beard and a mustache answered from the side of the door, "We are looking for one of the Hitachiin twins. Kaoru, to be specific." The man took out my picture and showed it to Kaori, who nonchalantly glanced back at me, frantically shaking my head and thinking _no, no, NO!_

Then just before Haruhi blurted out my location, Kaori secretly elbowed her in the ribs. "No sir, I haven't seen him. But I'll be sure to call if I do." she smiled and gently shut the door. Then, she sprinted to the window and, after waving to the police, calmly shut the blinds. Then she turned on me, "_Kaoru_! Why in the_ world_ are the police looking for you!?"

I guiltily slid out from under the counter, and seeing her accusing face, instantly sputtered, "It's not what you think!" without even thinking. That was as cliché as it gets. Then I saw Haruhi's questioning look.

"You weren't kidnapped?" she asked, "You left on your own?"

"Um, well…" I wasn't entirely sure where to begin. Then I remembered that Hideaki was still sitting in the room. When I looked at him, he was in absolute shock, completely confused by everything that had just happened. Kaori followed my gaze and frowned.

"Hideaki, if Mama hears _one_ word of this from you, I will personally drop-kick you off the roof. Now go to your room, and tell Mama not to come into the kitchen."

He nodded his head and obeyed without complaint. After he left, Kaori locked the kitchen door and sat down at the end of the table. "So, Kaoru, Haruhi and I would like to know what this is all about." Haruhi nodded and sat down next to her.

I gulped, wondering just how stupid my story would actually sound.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTES**

That's why you never, _ever_, forget that you're wanted by the police. Ever.

Review and Favorite please!


	8. Love

I sat on the floor, and took a breath. Pressing my hands together, I started to talk.

As I retold the story, I was amazed I didn't start into a crying fit. Until I relayed the part about Hikaru hitting me. Then I felt something swell inside my chest and my eyes started to sting. Whatever was in me rose to my throat and before I could gulp it down, it overtook me. I found myself sputtering out the rest of my story between choking sobs. I finished when I got to the part about Kaori's house.

After I finished, it was nearly silent except for my strained and painful crying. I looked up and saw that Haruhi was teary-eyed, but Kaori just seemed blank, almost clueless.

It was quiet for only seconds before Haruhi dropped to her knees and hugged me. "Kaoru…running away was not the best thing you could do," she paused, "Hikaru is worried sick. He's got everybody looking for you. _And_ you're still injured."

I glared at her. She didn't even know what she had put me through since she got here. I pushed away from her and stood up, wiping my eyes. _Tears are a sign of weakness. Crying solves nothing._ I thought to myself. I took a breath and turned around.

"Well what do you want me to do? Go back? He hurt me! He deserves to be worried!" my voice lowered, "My own twin…my Hikaru…"

Kaori snapped out of her daze and stood up, "Kaoru, go back. Go back to your brother. If he's that worried he still cares about you." Haruhi agreed.

I gaped at them. They didn't understand. Of course they didn't. I was about to say something when there was a knock at the door.

It was Manami. "Kaoru?" she called through the locked door, "Kaoru? Can we talk?"

Kaori glanced at me and opened the door. Manami blew past her and hugged me. "I'm so sorry," she cried, "I heard everything. I'm so, so sorry Kaoru! Please forgive me." she leaned back to look at me, "If Kaori did that, I would have done the same."

I pried her from me. She was eavesdropping, but she was also apologizing. I guess I could forgive her.

It'd be easier to disappear if I did.

"I forgive you Manami." I turned to Kaori and Haruhi, "Excuse me, please." I headed out the door and took the elevator to the fourth floor. I walked down the hall into my room. I calmly set the key on the dresser. Then I bolted for the window.

I slammed it open and stepped onto the sill. There was nothing to hold on to.

_Oh well. Here goes nothing._ I jumped.

It felt like time had stopped. Haruhi had opened the door just as I left the window. Her scream filled my ears as much as the whirring of the air around me. At that instant I regretted jumping. Then I smacked the ground, and everything was gone.

* * *

Hikaru sat in his room at the Hitachiin manor flipping through the TV channels. He was worried sick about his little brother. Why had he disappeared? Was he kidnapped? He shook the thought out of his head and focused on where he could be.

That's when the news channel caught his eye. There was a gruesome picture of a boy about 16, orange hair, golden eyes. His head was gushing blood and his arm was twisted disturbingly under him.

Hikaru froze. He stared at the screen.

_Approximately 15 minutes ago, Kaoru Hitachiin, age 16, jumped out of a four story window in the Akita Inn. Reason and goal are unclear. We do not know if he will live through this or not. Witness Haruhi Fujioka says she only saw him jump. Beforehand he was in the family kitchen at Akita Inn. Once again, reasons are unclear. More on this story later. _

Hikaru snapped out of his daze and raced out of the room. He sprinted down the stairs and out the door, ignoring the constant 'Master Hikaru' from the maids. He didn't wait for the driver; he simply jumped into the driver's seat and pushed the gas. He raced out of the richer part of town and into the commoner's area. After speeding through four stoplights and three stop signs, he screeched to a halt in front of Akita Inn.

Ignoring the calls of the commoner police, he jumped the caution tape and ran to his brother. In the few minutes Hikaru had been away from the news, Kaoru's breath had increased. They had bandaged his head and stopped the bleeding, but his arm still curled grotesquely beneath him. Hikaru gently pulled it out. Then he kneeled over his baby brother, and with tears slipping down his face, kissed him.

* * *

There was a huge, throbbing pain in my head. It was unbearable, I begged myself to stay unconscious. But I could hear somebody crying, and I had to know who it was. So against my will, I forced myself to open my eyes.

There was my brother, puffy-eyed and sobbing, laying his head on my chest. I tried to lift my arm and tap him, but it wouldn't move. So I hoarsely whispered out "H-Hikaru?"

His head shot up and he stared at me. "Kaoru! Kaoru! You're alive!" He hugged me tightly and looked into my eyes, "I… I thought I lost you Kaoru. Why did you jump? Why did you want to put me through that?"

I swallowed. "Why do you even care? You don't want me. You want Haruhi."

He frowned, his eyes tearing up again. "No Kaoru, I don't want her. Do you want to know why?"

"…why?"

He bent close to my face. I could feel myself blushing. Then he whispered, "I love you." And before I knew what happened, he kissed me.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I finally uploaded! I finally got the time! Woot!

Okay, so since i completely forgot where the plot was going before, i made it go this way. Haha.

Kaoru is one suicidal maniac. xD


	9. Changing

I sat at the kitchen table alone, thinking to myself. I traced the grains of wood with the worn down pink eraser on the back of my very-dull pencil. Hikaru had said he loved me. He had kissed me.

Why the hell had he gone out with Haruhi today?

I slammed my pencil down and slumped in my chair as my French homework glided gently to the floor. A maid walked into the kitchen and picked it up for me. "Thank you." I mumbled, and dismissed her, telling her to close the door behind her. Again I threw my homework to the floor and stood up. Sliding against the counter down to the floor, I thought back on what had happened in the hospital.

* * *

"I love you" Kiss.

I had been surprised at first, I had thought that maybe, just maybe, I was still dreaming. But when I opened my eyes he was still there, pulling away from me and smiling. I could feel myself blushing, and was surprised he couldn't feel the heat radiating off my cheeks.

"I-I love you too" I had stuttered. He had laughed and patted my head.

Then he had gotten serious, and scolded me about everything I had done. "One," he had said, "You lied about being hurt. Two, you ran away from me. Three, you jumped out _two_ windows. And four, you scared and worried me to death Kaoru."

"I'm so sorry Hikaru...I..." and I lost consciousness again.

* * *

_Dammit_, _what happened while I was out?_ Well this was frustrating. I sighed and pried the fridge open from my seat on the modern tiled floor. There was some cake on the bottom shelf, immediately reminding me of Honey-senpai and the rest of the Host Club. Had Hikaru told them I was okay? I decided to call Kyouya-senpai to find out, seeing as he was basically in-charge.

The phone rang a total of zero times before somebody picked up.

"Kao-chan's ok! Kao-chan's ok!"

This was definitely not Kyouya. "K-Kyouya senpai?"

"No silly it's me! Honey!"

Thought so. "Um, Honey-senpai, why do you have Kyouya's phone?"

"Kyo-chan is sleeping right now, but me and the rest of the Club came here just in case you decided to call!"

How in the world did they know I would call Kyouya? And did he say the rest of the club? As in Hikaru? "Um, Honey-senpai, is Hikaru there?"

He coughed and there was static on the line before another voice came on the phone.

"Kaoru?"

"Hikaru! Why did you go over to Kyouya's? I just got back from the hospital and you left me!"

He sighed and whispered, "I know, I'm sorry. But Haruhi was planning this whole 'Get Well Kaoru' party and well, we all had to come plan it."

I had stopped listening after 'Haruhi'. Even if Hikaru says he loves me, there's no saying, he might catch his senses and go to her. I didn't want to be selfish, but dammit Hikaru is mine!

"Kao?"

"Huh? Oh, yah, yah never mind its fine Hikaru," I forced a smile into the phone, "Just, just be sure to come home soon, kay?"

"Kay." Beeeeep.

He had hung up on me.

I was sure there was a reason. No way would he ever hang up on me without a reason. I hope.

I sighed and decided to call it a day, and at merely one o'clock pm, I headed up to my lonely bedroom. My hand had barely touched the doorknob when I realized that I wasn't at _my_ bedroom. This was Hikaru's bedroom, which we had decided to share since we were born. I frowned at the sign on the door, "Hika & Kao, Please Knock". I was about to open the door when my head swam, and suddenly it was like I was watching the world from outside my body.

There was Hikaru, sprawled across the bed with his headphones on high and his pajamas only half on. The water in the conjoined bathroom was running on high blast before coming to a sudden and squeaky stop. Steam bombarded the bedroom as the door opened and a figure stepped out. Brown hair, brown eyes, dressed in a light blue robe.

Haruhi.

My heart was pounding in my head and I let go of the doorknob. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I crossed out my name angrily and scribbled "Haru" where Kao had once been. I threw the pencil to the floor and stomped off toward my actual bedroom at the end of the hall.

The doorknob was covered in layer upon layer of dust, making it hard to turn. I impatiently dusted it off with my sleeve and threw the door open, slamming the handle into the wall. (Well, it was better than breaking the whole door down, right?) I looked at the bland and nearly empty room. A bed with white sheets, an empty bookshelf, and cobwebs here and there. I dropped my French book on the floor and dragged myself over to the bed, where I happily sunk into the thin sheets and fluffy pillow. I glanced at the clock once more before closing my eyes. The neon red numbers screaming "1:11".

"Kaoru? Kaoru! Kaoru where are you!"

I groaned. Hikaru was home, and being as noisy as he possibly could. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes groggily, I stared at the clock. "6:30". I guess five hours is a good enough nap for an exhausted, injured teenage boy with brother troubles.

The sun was setting through the window, so I got up to watch it, ignoring Hikaru's frantic calling my name. For a second I was shocked at the view, and then I remembered what room I was in. I was at the exact opposite corner from the other bedroom. This window overlooked the small lake and bundle of trees in the back yard, unlike the other, who overlooked the flower garden and greenhouse. I squinted my eyes as the sunlight reflected off the lake and shined directly into my room. Then I smiled, orange. My favorite color. The color Hikaru says I look best in.

"Kaooooo-ruuuuuu!" I heard Hikaru screaming from down the hall. He had finally decided I wasn't on the first or second floor, and had come looking for me on the third. I heard all the doors on the landing open and close, until Hikaru got to our- excuse me- _his_ bedroom. That door didn't open. There was silence for a few seconds before my brother's footsteps came pounding down the hallway. Then Hikaru's panting and swallowing when he got to my door. "K-Kaoru! Why are you in here?"

"Well it is my bedroom, Hikaru." I mumbled coldly.

I could tell he was frowning, and I could feel his eyes boring a hole in the back. "What's with the sign on _our_ bedroom door, Kaoru?" He emphasized "our" by hissing it through his teeth.

I paused and grimaced. "Just thought it would be more appropriate. Don't you?" My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Hikaru's footsteps were barely audible as he made his way over to the window. But his arms were firm as they snaked around my waist and held me tight. "Don't _you_ remember what I said in the hospital? And what I did?" I felt myself blush at the thought.

"Yes." was all I could manage to say before his lips were on mine for the second time, this time much more forceful.


	10. Imagination II

**Author's Note, AT THE BEGINNING THIS TIME**.

Amazing eh? xD

Anyways lol, I thought I would tell you before you got all excited that no, there isn't going to be any lemon/lime or smut,

because my mom would rip my freaking head off and throw it at the computer screen. ~ So I hope you sorta enjoy my extremely rough and sudden close to the story ^ ^'

* * *

And that was as far as it got that night. But it didn't matter to me, I would have been happy if he had just promised he didn't like Haruhi.

"Hey Kao?"

I blinked and tore my eyes away from the screen to look at him, "Why are you awake Hikaru? It's one in the morning!"

"I could ask you the same thing." I smiled sheepishly, and he sighed, "I need to ask you a favor."

"What is it?"

He sat up and grabbed my hand, "Do you think you could lock up that room down the hall. Never go in it again, just forget about it. And we'll burn the sign you wrote. Because I will never leave you, and you will never leave me, and there's no reason for either of those things."

I smiled and nodded, and together, in the middle of the night, we put a strong lock on the door, and a sign that read "Forgotten". We went downstairs and grabbed the lighter. Setting the paper in the barbeque, we lit it on fire and watched "HikaHaru" smolder and disintegrate. And while the coals were still hot, I tossed the key into them.

He took my hand and as we watched our troubles burning and twisting around, I realized everything would be better now.

No more secrets.

No more worrying about Haruhi.

It would just be me and Hikaru again. No matter how much we respected Haruhi for telling us apart, she would never drag us apart again.

Sighing, I poured water on the barbeque and we walk hand-in-hand back to our room. As we entered the door, a familiar yellow sponge and pink starfish were in that same cardboard box again. Hikaru leaned over to me and whispered in my ear.

"Imagination."

* * *

I met up with Kaori the other day. She was very interested in how things were going, and I was happy to tell her that everything had worked out. My injury had healed; I am just going to say it was a heartbreak injury. I didn't hate Haruhi quite so much anymore, and the Host Club was as inviting as ever. I made sure to thank her for everything, and dropped by to thank her family as well.

Every morning I wake up next to Hikaru.

Every day we're inseparable.

And every night when we lay down, I'm excited to just start the cycle again in the morning.

Because even though I went through some hardships, I know it was worth it. And now, every day begins and ends, with a kiss.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

THE END. lol

I've forgotten about this story so many times I dont even know if there was more to the plot that I had planned xD but I think I'm going to do another one, and this time, I'm going to REMEMBER it

I love spongebob xD

OHSHC belongs to Bisco Hatori

if it belonged to me it wouldn't even have Haruhi IN it xD

Reviews Please ^ ^

PS. wow this was a short chapter! :o Sorry guys!


	11. A Little Note To ReadersAnon

Hey everybody, I got an anonymous review on this story today from somebody who apparently takes this fandom very seriously. "...this story doesn't make any sense. Why did Kaoru run away? The twins' bond runs too deep for it to be plauble that, after one little slap - not to mention the fact that Kaoru would've been able to feel Hikaru's emotions when he'd hit him - Kaoru wouldbreak ties with him entirely. This is all a bit silly."

Anyways, I'd like to point out: 1. I wrote this story when I was twelve, so it probably doesn't make sense. 2. I wasn't (and still am not) convinced that they really had this undying, deep connection to eachother considering in the show Hikaru didn't even realize when Kaoru was upset about Haruhi. 3. "Feel his emotions". Darling, I was twelve, I barely had any emotions myself. And last but not least, 4. I wasn't trying to be emotional and deep and touching really, I made this for fun.

And let's be real, this story is, as they said, a bit silly. But I made it entirely for my enjoyment and simply because I loved writing.

So ta-da! Just wanted to make myself clear since I couldn't reply to the lovely anon.


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